MEDIA REACTION: ISRAEL PALESTINE IRAQ

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003876

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA;
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: ISRAEL PALESTINE IRAQ



1. SUMMARY: THE SITUATION IN THE WEST BANK AND IRAQ DOMINATED
COVERAGE IN THE UAE MEDIA. IN "AL ITTIHAD," KUWAITI COLUMNIST
DR. SHAMLAN AL EISSA CRITICIZED THE ARABIC SATELLITE TV NETWORKS
AND OTHERS FOR LABELING THE ATTACKS ON THE UN HEADQUARTERS IN
IRAQ AN ACT OF LIBERATION. AN "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIAL BLAMES BOTH
PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS FOR THE "DETERIORATING" SITUATION. AN
"AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIAL CRITICIZED THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY'S
CRACK DOWN ON THE "RESISTANCE." END SUMMARY.


2. UNDER THE HEADLINE "TERRORISM OR RESISTANCE?," DR. SHAMLAN AL
EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" ON
8/24:

"... THE OPERATION WAS CONDEMNED BY ALL WORLD LEADERS, THE ARAB
LEAGUE, THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UN, AND THE TEMPORARY
(IRAQI) GOVERNING COUNCIL, BUT NOT BY ANY OF THE ARABIC SATELLITE
TV CHANNELS, WHO SUPPORT THE PREVIOUS (IRAQI) REGIME AND ANTI-
AMERICAN POWERS. THEY LABELED THIS ACT AN ACT OF NATIONALISM IN
ORDER TO LIBERATE IRAQ FROM FOREIGN OCCUPATION. IS WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN IRAQ TODAY REALLY AN ACT OF NATIONAL LIBERATION FROM
A FOREIGN ENEMY? OR IS IT A SERIES OF DISORGANIZED TERRORIST
ATTACKS THAT AIM TO EXPEL COALITION FORCES AND RETURN THE
PREVIOUS REGIME? ... THE GOAL OR AIM OF WHOEVER PERFORMS THESE
ACTS OF TERRORISM IS DEFINITELY NOT THE LIBERATION OF THE LAND,
BUT TO BURN IRAQ AND ALL ITS PEOPLE, ANIMALS, AND ENVIRONMENT.
THESE ACTS ARE ONLY DONE BY GANGSTERS, LIKE THE TALIBAN IN
AFGHANISTAN OR AL QAEDA SUPPORTERS, OR THE GANGS OF THE PREVIOUS
BA'ATH PARTY ... WHOEVER WANTS TO LIBERATE A LAND WOULD FOCUS ON
COALITION FORCES DIRECTLY AND NOT KILL TRANSLATORS AND
HUMANITARIAN WORKERS OF THE UN, RED CRESCENT, AND OTHER
HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE COME TO REBUILD IRAQ AND TO
BUILD DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS ON NEW FOUNDATIONS UNFAMILIAR TO
THE ARAB WORLD."


3. BLAMING BOTH PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS FOR RECENT EVENTS, "AL
ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 8/24:

"THE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO SAVE THE ROADMAP FROM
A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO ERASE IT, EITHER THROUGH APACHE MISSILES
KILLING PALESTINIAN ACTIVISTS OR THE SUICIDE BOMBS THAT TAKE
PALESTINIAN LIVES AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS, WILL NOT DO ANY GOOD
AS SOME OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONFLICT HAVE DIFFERENT FACES THAT
REVEAL KINDNESS WHILE HIDING ACTS OF TORTURE AND PUNISHMENT ...
ISRAEL SHOULD END THEIR DELUSIONS OF POWER AND DOMINATION, AND
PALESTINIANS SHOULD STAND IN SUPPORT OF THEIR GOVERNMENT. THAT
IS, IF EVERYONE WANTS TO SAVE THE ROADMAP."


4. CRITICIZING THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY'S ACTS TOWARDS THE
PALESTINIAN "RESISTANCE," SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB "AL KHALEEJ"
EDITORIALIZED 8/25:

"... THEY (THE US ADMINISTRATION) WANT THE PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT
TO BECOME AN OBEDIENT TOOL IN THE HANDS OF THE OCCUPATION AND
ALLOW BUSH AND SHARON TO APPROVE THIS GOVERNMENT, SO IT DOES NOT
FACE THE SAME FATE OF THE PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, CURRENTLY UNDER
SIEGE IN THE (GAZA) STRIP. THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DOES NOT
WANT TO FACE THE CURSE OF BEING CALLED A TERRORIST OR HELPING
TERRORISM, AND THIS WILL LEAD TO ITS ELIMINATION. ASSERTING ITS
EXISTENCE SHOULD NOT COME AT THE EXPENSE OF THE WEAPON OF
RESISTANCE, WHATEVER THE GOAL THAT ABU MAZEN'S GOVERNMENT IS
TRYING TO PROMOTE IN ORDER TO PLEASE THE U.S. AND WHOEVER THE
U.S. WANTS TO PLEASE ..."

RALBRIGHT